Quality&Origin

Technical assistance

The following information relates to FAO’s technical assistance provided in various countries to support the development of sustainable origin-linked quality schemes. In these projects, funding resources come from the regular programme, in particular the Technical Cooperation Programme (TCP), Trust funds or FAO’s cooperative work agreements with financing institutions investing in agriculture (Investment Centre-TCI).

Latin America

This project is implemented in the framework of the Technical Cooperation Programme of FAO. The objective is to improve the capacity of the institutions and of local organizations to support and/or conduct development programmes in the field of local quality products in Latin America. The project is considering two levels of intervention: local level through pilot cases (one in each country, in order to implement the methodology built with all the stakeholders) and the institutional level, through workshops and trainings, in order to support the implementation of the GIs and for the capacity-building of the stakeholders.

In the framework of a memorandum of understanding between FAO and the National Polytechnic Institute in Mexico (IPN) (2010-2011), technical assistance is provided to strengthen the production of traditional Cotija cheese in its region of origin (Jalisco and Michoacán), through food safety and specific quality assessment and recommendations for the elaboration on specifications.

AFRICA and Mediterranean

In the framework of the two following projects, a video has been made in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture and Fishery of Morocco. The idea is to give an overview of origin-linked products in Morocco, the Saffron of Taliouine in particular, and of the institutional framework for the recognition and protection of quality seals. Videoin French andin Arabic

Support to development and the implementation of a recognition system for specific quality signs and origin-based labels in Morocco.

ProjectTCP/MOR/3104 is implemented in the framework of the Technical Cooperation Programme of FAO. The main objective of this project is to support Moroccan ministerial departments in the implementation of the institutional framework for promoting and preserving origin-based quality products. The following results are expected:

Capacity-building of the local stakeholders to develop mountain quality products – Example of Saffron.

Project TCP/MOR/3201is implemented in the framework of the Technical Cooperation Programme of FAO. The main objective of this project is the improvement of small-scale mountain producers’ livelihood in the area of Atlas Mountains, by implementing a concrete strategy for adding value to Saffron of Taliouine and Tazenakht, including the development of a specific quality scheme. The main activity consists in capacity-building for the practitioners, facilitators and rural development executives (training for trainers) and saffron producers involving the previously trained facilitators, on sustainable agricultural practices, improvement of processing, market identification and setting up of marketing connections, code of practice for specific quality labels (GI, organic, fair-trade), supply chain organization.

Support to development and implementation of a control system for origin-based quality products.

Project TCP/TUN/3202 is implemented in the framework of the Technical Cooperation Programme of FAO. The main objective of the project is to support the implementation of the legal and institutional framework and the development of quality linked to geographical origin schemes. The main expected results are:

Finalization of the legal and institutional framework, including the control system (traceability along the supply chains, control, certification, accreditation and the registration and protection system)

Capacity building of the institutional actors: administrative, members of the national commission for these schemes and control/certification staffs

Interested or concerned public and private actors are sensitized, and the ones involved in the pilot projects are trained

Supported various pilot projects in the implementation of their own GI or its marketing, to serve as learning process and models for other local process (Apple of Sbiba, Pomegranate of Gabes, Orange of Cap Bon, Lamb meat of Black of Thibar, El Jem olive oil, etc.)

SUPPORTING PRODUCERS’ ORGANISATIONS FOR A BETTER EXPLOITATION OF PRODUCTIONS IN THE CIRCLES OF BANDIAGARA AND MENAKA

The project GTFS/MLI/030/ITA is implemented in the framework of the Food Security Program of FAO by the Division in charge of supporting the development of policies and programs (TCS), with technical support from the Rural Infrastructure and Agro-Industries Division (AGS), and a trust fund financed by Italy. The overall objective is to contribute to reducing poverty in the most vulnerable communes in Mali, particularly in around hundred villages of eleven communes of the Dogon Plateau. The specific objectives are to:

Strengthen the capacity of producers’ organizations (POs), women and other non-state support structures in the management of horticultural sectors;

Diversify and secure the production of horticultural sectors in promoting access to resources and means of production;

Increase value of horticultural production and incomes of vulnerable groups targeted by the establishment of a central condition, processing, market access, competitiveness and modernization of agriculture.

It is also envisaged the creation of a quality and origin label. Work is currently underway on the Dogon Plateau with the goal of comprehensive characterization of the shallot, in the prospect of initiating a specific quality process that can lead to a geographical indication. Duration: August 2008 - December 2012

PROMOTING ORIGIN-LINKED QUALITY PRODUCTS IN FOUR AFRICAN COUNTRIES

Promotion of local products to preserve food traditions and biodiversity in four countries: Guinea Bissau, Mali, Senegal and Sierra Leone, under the sub-regional project GTFS/RAF/426/ITA, supervised by the Division in charge of supporting the development of policies and programs (TCS), in collaboration with the Rural Infrastructure and Agro-Industries Division (AGS) and the Nutrition and Consumer Protection Division (AGN). A protocol has been established with Slow Food (international association operating for the preservation of wine and food) to carry out the following activities:

Identify products with specific quality linked to origin in four countries to implement pilot programs of quality-linked to origin and serve as models (at least one per country) for rural communities and small-scale farmers

Improving producers’ organizations in each pilot case, to increase efficiency in production (by improving and defining the specificity of the product) and the institutional network

Encourage access to new markets for the pilot products, locally, nationally and internationally

Improve knowledge of local national and international consumers regarding culinary traditions and traditional production techniques of the concerned countries

IDENTIFICATION OF ORIGIN-LINKED PRODUCTS IN THE KINDIA REGION

This activity is a component of the project funded by Italy to contribute to reducing poverty in the Kindia region, implemented in the framework of the Food Security Program of FAO. The objective of this component is to promote the value of agricultural biodiversity and local food. The products / direct effects are the following:

Inventory of origin-linked products

Identification of the products with the highest potential for their qualification (proposal specifications)

Central and eastern europe

Assessment of GI potential and its realisation in support of Rural Development.

This project is implemented in the framework of the Technical Cooperation Programme of FAO, through a Facility carried out by the regional office of FAO for Europe and Central Asia (FAO REU). The aim is to explore the possibilities for investments in an enabling environment for GI to play a major role in rural development. The assessment will be based on the inventory of products suitable to acquire GI label and the potential of Ukrainian GI products on export and domestic markets, taking into account the current institutional framework.

Support to development of origin-linked quality products in Croatia

This project has been launched under the FAO/EBRD cooperation and it is lead by the FAO Investment Center (TCI). It aims at building capacity both at an institutional level, in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture, and through the valorization of two pilot cases: the Baranski Kulen (pork meat sausage) and the Neretva mandarins, in collaboration with the Croatian company Agrokor.

Duration: 18 months.

Conference and training workshop for National Commission members of Geographical Indications in Croatia, Zagreb, 6-8 April 2011- Presentations and material

ASIA

Northern mountain development through atlas ofspecialty products

The regional office for Asia and the Pacific of FAO is providing technical assistance to an FAO Technical Cooperation Project Facility component in Viet Nam on Northern mountain development. This activity is aiming at assessing the marketing potential of traditional products from the Northern mountainous provinces in order to foster local development. This mapping exercise could also lead to the identification of products and local communities that could benefit from the establishment of a GI. The Rural Development Centre of the Institute of Policy and Strategy for Agriculture and Rural Development is identifying the specialty and typical products of 15 provinces in the Northern mountainous area in Viet Nam with an aim of making an atlas of these special products as well as a publication introducing specialty and typical products of each province.

Establishment of a national strategy for promotion and preservation of specific quality products: the case of yak products.

This project is part of the FAO-Multi-Donor Partnership Program (FMPP) in Bhutan. It aims at assessing the potential and feasibility of implementing specific quality schemes for Bhutanese products. The first expected outcome of this project is the definition of a national strategy for preserving and promoting high-quality traditional products of Bhutan. It will involve the assessment of the institutional framework for implementing specific quality schemes in Bhutan as well as an analysis of market opportunities and an evaluation of the yak production system. According to the findings of the assessment phase, a specific quality scheme for Yak products will be proposed (identification the most adequate type of quality scheme to implement in order to promote these products on the market, proposition of a development strategy).